We recently returned from a trip to Oregon where we spent 4 weeks connecting with family and friends to share about our upcoming ministry in Ireland and our prayer/financial needs. Here is a look at our trip "by the numbers":
3473.6 miles driven round-trip
950 dollars raised in new monthly support commitments
72 percent of our required financial need has been met
20 percent increase in support that God has provided so far as a result of the trip
18 percent of our monthly support is still needed by June 1st to depart July 1st
15 new supporters added to our team lifting us up in prayer and contributing their finances
6 days left to raise the remaining 18% of our required monthly support
4 different churches attended in the same number of weeks
3 is the total number of boys we will have after finding out the gender of the baby due 9/25
2 birthdays celebrated on the road (mine & Sarah's)
1 offer made on our house since we returned!!
Thank you to all of our new supporters and if you have been thinking about joining our team to help us serve God in Ireland, please let us know. For as little as $2-$3 per day, you can have a huge impact on the families and young people we will interact with during our missions work.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Truth, Knowledge, and Wisdom
What is truth?
This is a fundamental question that has been asked countless times over the ages to which humans have come up with countless explanations.
In our current age, and really beginning with the Enlightenment, truth and fact are determined based on empirical evidence. Empirical evidence is part of the scientific method and is basically a fancy way of saying that something is true only if it can be experienced and tested through the senses - and that an observer must rely on the observation alone without any due regard for system or theory.
There are dozens of sources dedicated to utilizing empirical evidence to determine if God and the bible are true. Here is a quote I found on one of them:
“With every other object and phenomenon in our experience, we use the scientific method to determine whether it exists or not. For example, X rays are invisible, but we know that they exist. We can devise scientific experiments to prove that they exist. Then, once proven to exist, X-rays can be used predictably in all sorts of beneficial ways.
If you would like to hypothesize that God exists, then you should say to yourself, "Let's devise a repeatable scientific experiment to provide evidence that God exists." Every experiment we devise demonstrates, yet again, that God is imaginary”
Our God does not fit into this box. The very idea that somehow He is subject to our rules is just not plausible. He is invisible, immortal, and created everything for His purpose.
Colossians 1:15-16 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.
1 Timothy 1:17 – To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
However, most of us have been indoctrinated with the scientific method of determining truth. But if we are followers of Jesus, how does this notion fit within our belief system? How do we reconcile what the bible says with the standard that the world uses to judge its truthfulness?
I think that to better appreciate truth, a distinction must be made between knowledge and wisdom. To paraphrase the notes in my study bible, "Knowledge tends to focus on correct understanding of the world and oneself as creatures of the magnificent and loving God, while wisdom is the acquired skill of applying that knowledge rightly, or skill in the art of godly living."
With that in mind, look at the following verses from Proverbs:
Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 2:6 – For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
The assertion here is that submission to God is foundational to the attainment of real understanding, an idea that is not present in a worldly pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.
The underlying issue here is that by taking God (or more accurately, the fear of God) out of the picture - we distort the truth. In Matthew 28:18, just before giving the Great Commission, Jesus says to his disciples, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Not some of the authority, not authority over certain things, but all authority. What does this mean? For me, it means that absolutely everything, on every level, is subject to the lordship of Christ. We reject that notion when we assert that our ways of determining truth and discovering knowledge need not involve God.
The bible is clear on the dangers of the arrogance and folly of thinking that truth is independent of Christ:
Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
Colossians 2:8-9 – See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Truth, knowledge, and wisdom are part of God's desire for us - as long we have the definition and context of those embedded clearly on our hearts. The truth around which all other truths come from is referred to in these passages:
1 Timothy 2:3-6 – This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Ephesians 3:17-19 – so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
So what did our Mediator, our Redeemer, our Savior have to say about truth?
John 8:31-32 – So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Here we are not only dealing with biblical perspective on truth, but also some other ideas. Modern day society is big on things like relativism & tolerance - and they sound like good qualities to have. But there is no relativism here - there is no tolerance. There is no sense around there being one god, but many different paths. Jesus Christ says that he is the only way to God. This statement in its very nature is exclusive, and if you believe Jesus' claim, is absolute truth.
The question, "what is truth?" is asked in the bible in the context of Jesus being interrogated by Pontius Pilate before his crucifixion.
John 18:37-38 – Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
How ironic that Pilate, whose job it is to determine the truth in the matter, sarcastically dismisses the relevance of truth in the very presence of the embodiment of truth in Christ Jesus.
I think that Romans 1:16-22 sums it up nicely:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.
Just because we cannot see something or feel something or measure something does not mean that it does not exist. One of Satan's greatest deceptions is convincing people that he does not exist, which leads them to believe that neither does God.
This is a fundamental question that has been asked countless times over the ages to which humans have come up with countless explanations.
In our current age, and really beginning with the Enlightenment, truth and fact are determined based on empirical evidence. Empirical evidence is part of the scientific method and is basically a fancy way of saying that something is true only if it can be experienced and tested through the senses - and that an observer must rely on the observation alone without any due regard for system or theory.
There are dozens of sources dedicated to utilizing empirical evidence to determine if God and the bible are true. Here is a quote I found on one of them:
“With every other object and phenomenon in our experience, we use the scientific method to determine whether it exists or not. For example, X rays are invisible, but we know that they exist. We can devise scientific experiments to prove that they exist. Then, once proven to exist, X-rays can be used predictably in all sorts of beneficial ways.
If you would like to hypothesize that God exists, then you should say to yourself, "Let's devise a repeatable scientific experiment to provide evidence that God exists." Every experiment we devise demonstrates, yet again, that God is imaginary”
Our God does not fit into this box. The very idea that somehow He is subject to our rules is just not plausible. He is invisible, immortal, and created everything for His purpose.
Colossians 1:15-16 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.
1 Timothy 1:17 – To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
However, most of us have been indoctrinated with the scientific method of determining truth. But if we are followers of Jesus, how does this notion fit within our belief system? How do we reconcile what the bible says with the standard that the world uses to judge its truthfulness?
I think that to better appreciate truth, a distinction must be made between knowledge and wisdom. To paraphrase the notes in my study bible, "Knowledge tends to focus on correct understanding of the world and oneself as creatures of the magnificent and loving God, while wisdom is the acquired skill of applying that knowledge rightly, or skill in the art of godly living."
With that in mind, look at the following verses from Proverbs:
Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 2:6 – For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
The assertion here is that submission to God is foundational to the attainment of real understanding, an idea that is not present in a worldly pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.
The underlying issue here is that by taking God (or more accurately, the fear of God) out of the picture - we distort the truth. In Matthew 28:18, just before giving the Great Commission, Jesus says to his disciples, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Not some of the authority, not authority over certain things, but all authority. What does this mean? For me, it means that absolutely everything, on every level, is subject to the lordship of Christ. We reject that notion when we assert that our ways of determining truth and discovering knowledge need not involve God.
The bible is clear on the dangers of the arrogance and folly of thinking that truth is independent of Christ:
Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
Colossians 2:8-9 – See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Truth, knowledge, and wisdom are part of God's desire for us - as long we have the definition and context of those embedded clearly on our hearts. The truth around which all other truths come from is referred to in these passages:
1 Timothy 2:3-6 – This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Ephesians 3:17-19 – so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
So what did our Mediator, our Redeemer, our Savior have to say about truth?
John 8:31-32 – So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Here we are not only dealing with biblical perspective on truth, but also some other ideas. Modern day society is big on things like relativism & tolerance - and they sound like good qualities to have. But there is no relativism here - there is no tolerance. There is no sense around there being one god, but many different paths. Jesus Christ says that he is the only way to God. This statement in its very nature is exclusive, and if you believe Jesus' claim, is absolute truth.
The question, "what is truth?" is asked in the bible in the context of Jesus being interrogated by Pontius Pilate before his crucifixion.
John 18:37-38 – Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
How ironic that Pilate, whose job it is to determine the truth in the matter, sarcastically dismisses the relevance of truth in the very presence of the embodiment of truth in Christ Jesus.
I think that Romans 1:16-22 sums it up nicely:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.
Just because we cannot see something or feel something or measure something does not mean that it does not exist. One of Satan's greatest deceptions is convincing people that he does not exist, which leads them to believe that neither does God.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Breathe In, Breathe Out
Webster's Dictionary defines the word "breathe" as follows: to draw air into and expel it from the lungs or to inhale and exhale freely.
Have you ever heard someone respond to a stressful situation by saying something like, "I just need to breathe" or "I can't even breathe!"? Breathing, of course, comes naturally to everyone who is alive - it's not something that you typically have to think about - it just happens.
How often do you think about your every breath being a gift from God? Genesis 2:7 - then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Man was not a living creature until God breathed out the breath of life in to him. If something does not breathe, it is not alive. The Christian faith is intended to be a living faith - after all, we worship a living Savior! Since Christianity is alive, it breathes, and therefore it needs to inhale and exhale freely.
I like to think of the Christian's "inhale" as time spent with other believers and in God's word. Spending time among believers includes going to church, Sunday school, small groups, bible studies, Christian retreats or camps, etc. Time spent in the Bible is certainly vital to the life of a Christian and 2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us that "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." I like the idea of God breathing out Scripture and us breathing it in. For the Christian, the "inhale" is meant to build us up, strengthen us, and encourage us in Christ.
But breathing is a two step process of equally important parts. You have to inhale and exhale to stay alive.
The "exhale" of our faith in Christ should be in our neighborhoods, in our schools, in our workplaces, in our streets! The "exhale" needs to come in places where life happens and people need to be reached with the Good News. Often it is more comfortable for Christians to spend time only with other Christians. Oh, you can easily do that and think you are fine - just like you can breathe with one lung at a diminished capacity.
However, for our faith to be alive, we need to breathe out what we believe, not just breathe in.
Mark 16:15 - "And he (Jesus) said to them (the disciples), 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."
Have you ever heard someone respond to a stressful situation by saying something like, "I just need to breathe" or "I can't even breathe!"? Breathing, of course, comes naturally to everyone who is alive - it's not something that you typically have to think about - it just happens.
How often do you think about your every breath being a gift from God? Genesis 2:7 - then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Man was not a living creature until God breathed out the breath of life in to him. If something does not breathe, it is not alive. The Christian faith is intended to be a living faith - after all, we worship a living Savior! Since Christianity is alive, it breathes, and therefore it needs to inhale and exhale freely.
I like to think of the Christian's "inhale" as time spent with other believers and in God's word. Spending time among believers includes going to church, Sunday school, small groups, bible studies, Christian retreats or camps, etc. Time spent in the Bible is certainly vital to the life of a Christian and 2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us that "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." I like the idea of God breathing out Scripture and us breathing it in. For the Christian, the "inhale" is meant to build us up, strengthen us, and encourage us in Christ.
But breathing is a two step process of equally important parts. You have to inhale and exhale to stay alive.
The "exhale" of our faith in Christ should be in our neighborhoods, in our schools, in our workplaces, in our streets! The "exhale" needs to come in places where life happens and people need to be reached with the Good News. Often it is more comfortable for Christians to spend time only with other Christians. Oh, you can easily do that and think you are fine - just like you can breathe with one lung at a diminished capacity.
However, for our faith to be alive, we need to breathe out what we believe, not just breathe in.
Mark 16:15 - "And he (Jesus) said to them (the disciples), 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Europe as a Mission Field
I was reading through some of the older posts on here and was reminded of what a need for Christ that there is in Ireland and throughout all of Europe. The need is great enough that Operation Mobilization has identified Europe as one of the 9 focal points for world missions. It is a mission field that is not thought about often, but this was a good reminder to me of why God has called our family to serve there.
The following is from the OM International website (http://www.om.org/):
Europe - Restoring Hope
Once, European Christians told the world about Jesus. Today's "Christian" Europe is spiritually bankrupt. The ruins of ancient churches symbolize a continent that has turned away from Christ.
Prosperous Europeans may seem content. But rising suicide rates, the desperate search for alternative spiritualities and the growth of other religions demonstrate the emptiness behind the façade.
Throughout Europe, nations are battling against the effects of crime, drugs and alcohol abuse while in places such as Bosnia, Kosovo and Ukraine whole communities have been shattered by war and poverty.
Yet, in the midst of brokenness, God is restoring hope to Europe. Across the continent OM teams are living out the reality of the Gospel as they provide practical help, build friendships and share truth.
Together with the European church, OM is transforming lives and communities in more than 30 nations by caring for the unwanted, loving Muslims, empowering the next generations, reawakening the religious and challenging the secular.
Once the sender of missionaries to the world, Europe is now the one continent where the church is shrinking. In most of the countries, including Ireland, less than 1% of the population is evangelical. But, there are open doors to share the Gospel with Europeans and a growing immigrant population throughout the continent.
In Ireland, while Catholicism is still a major influence over the country and culture, few have a living relationship with God. Traditional 'religion' has failed to tackle serious social problems such as alcoholism, teenage pregnancy and a high suicide rate among young men. Evangelical numbers have grown over the past 10 years and stand at 0.75% of the population, though according to Operation World, this is still the lowest percentage of any country in the English-speaking world.
Some Prayer Points to consider:
Isaiah 58:12
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
The following is from the OM International website (http://www.om.org/):
Europe - Restoring Hope
Once, European Christians told the world about Jesus. Today's "Christian" Europe is spiritually bankrupt. The ruins of ancient churches symbolize a continent that has turned away from Christ.
Prosperous Europeans may seem content. But rising suicide rates, the desperate search for alternative spiritualities and the growth of other religions demonstrate the emptiness behind the façade.
Throughout Europe, nations are battling against the effects of crime, drugs and alcohol abuse while in places such as Bosnia, Kosovo and Ukraine whole communities have been shattered by war and poverty.
Yet, in the midst of brokenness, God is restoring hope to Europe. Across the continent OM teams are living out the reality of the Gospel as they provide practical help, build friendships and share truth.
Together with the European church, OM is transforming lives and communities in more than 30 nations by caring for the unwanted, loving Muslims, empowering the next generations, reawakening the religious and challenging the secular.
Once the sender of missionaries to the world, Europe is now the one continent where the church is shrinking. In most of the countries, including Ireland, less than 1% of the population is evangelical. But, there are open doors to share the Gospel with Europeans and a growing immigrant population throughout the continent.
In Ireland, while Catholicism is still a major influence over the country and culture, few have a living relationship with God. Traditional 'religion' has failed to tackle serious social problems such as alcoholism, teenage pregnancy and a high suicide rate among young men. Evangelical numbers have grown over the past 10 years and stand at 0.75% of the population, though according to Operation World, this is still the lowest percentage of any country in the English-speaking world.
Some Prayer Points to consider:
Please pray that God will restore hope to Europe.
Pray for workers reaching out to the marginalised people in Europe (homeless, refugees, immigrants, drug addicts, alcoholics and prostitutes) that they will be filled with compassion and will demonstrate the love of Jesus to those they meet.
Pray for God to raise up a new generation of Europeans who are on fire for Jesus and willing to share their passion for Him with others.
Pray for unity among European churches and a common commitment to reach out with the good news of Jesus.
Pray for the thriving churches in Eastern European countries such as Ukraine, Moldova and Romania to catch a vision for world missions.
Isaiah 58:12
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Support Raising Update "40/40" Club
I am excited today! In a way, I feel like today is the beginning of something big that God is going to do in our lives. It is the first day of my new "job", which consists of being 100% available to share our ministry vision for Ireland with interested friends, and watching God work.
Last night I was figuring out how many days we have left to get to 90% of our support raising goal (which is the mark we need to be at 30 days out from when we leave). We are currently at 50% of the financial requirement, so we need an additional 40%. Our goal is to get to Ireland no later than the last week of June - so 30 days backward from there is May 23, or 40 days from today.
So for everything to fall in to place as we believe God is leading, that means that 40% of our financial support must come in the next 40 days. I'm not a numerologist or anything, but I like the sound of 40% in 40 days!
There is no way we can do this on our own - in fact, it seems more than overwhelming to consider exactly how this is supposed to happen. Thankfully for us, it is God who will provide and we just need to be available to be used by Him for this purpose.
If you haven't joined our prayer and financial support team yet, would you pray about it? If you feel like this is something that God may be leading you towards being a part of, please let us know. If you think this is something that your church or family or friends would be excited about, please share it with them.
We are looking forward to watching the 40/40 club grow and keeping everyone updated on how God is working!
Last night I was figuring out how many days we have left to get to 90% of our support raising goal (which is the mark we need to be at 30 days out from when we leave). We are currently at 50% of the financial requirement, so we need an additional 40%. Our goal is to get to Ireland no later than the last week of June - so 30 days backward from there is May 23, or 40 days from today.
So for everything to fall in to place as we believe God is leading, that means that 40% of our financial support must come in the next 40 days. I'm not a numerologist or anything, but I like the sound of 40% in 40 days!
There is no way we can do this on our own - in fact, it seems more than overwhelming to consider exactly how this is supposed to happen. Thankfully for us, it is God who will provide and we just need to be available to be used by Him for this purpose.
If you haven't joined our prayer and financial support team yet, would you pray about it? If you feel like this is something that God may be leading you towards being a part of, please let us know. If you think this is something that your church or family or friends would be excited about, please share it with them.
We are looking forward to watching the 40/40 club grow and keeping everyone updated on how God is working!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Trusting God
The last four or five days have been filled with some big decisions that we have had to make. After much prayer and discussion, we believe it is God's will for us to be in Ireland before July 1 of this year. Of course, that is very soon and we began to realize just how much needed to be done for that to happen.
We were facing 2 major obstacles:
1) What to do with our house? - as you know, the market in Vegas is unbelievably bad.
2) How to continue our support raising efforts with my more than full-time job occupying most of my time?
I was reminded of King Jehoshaphat's prayer in II Chronicles 20:6-12. He is standing in the the court at the temple in Jerusalem having just learned that a great multitude of foreign armies is massing against his people.
...O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying "If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house - and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save." And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab, and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy - behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.
What a beautiful prayer!
Jehoshaphat reminded God of how he had brought His people this far and all that He had done for them. He trusted that God would keep His promise. Even though he did not know what to do, he was going to keep his eyes on God and trust Him to provide.
I found our current situation to be very similar. God has provided many affirmations over the last year that we are to serve His purpose in Ireland. I could not believe that He has brought us this far along only to not be able to go because of our housing situation. Or to let us fail in our support raising because my work schedule is not allowing me to spend time meeting with people.
So we went to God in prayer many times over the last few days, telling Him that "we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."
And we believe God will answer our prayer and deliver us, just like he did for King Jehoshaphat. We are trusting Him and have taken some steps that we feel are following His leading (even though it may seem crazy to us!)
Our house is currently listed for sale and we are trusting God to take care of the details. I also gave my 2 week notice at work so that we can have time to make our final push with our support raising. We are currently closing in on 50% of our goal and will spend the next few weeks here in Las Vegas meeting with friends who may be interested in helping us. Then we will be making a trip to San Diego and to Oregon to connect with more friends and churches to talk about our ministry.
So, that's the latest! Please be in prayer for us to continue to listen to God's call and direction.
We were facing 2 major obstacles:
1) What to do with our house? - as you know, the market in Vegas is unbelievably bad.
2) How to continue our support raising efforts with my more than full-time job occupying most of my time?
I was reminded of King Jehoshaphat's prayer in II Chronicles 20:6-12. He is standing in the the court at the temple in Jerusalem having just learned that a great multitude of foreign armies is massing against his people.
...O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying "If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house - and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save." And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab, and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy - behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.
What a beautiful prayer!
Jehoshaphat reminded God of how he had brought His people this far and all that He had done for them. He trusted that God would keep His promise. Even though he did not know what to do, he was going to keep his eyes on God and trust Him to provide.
I found our current situation to be very similar. God has provided many affirmations over the last year that we are to serve His purpose in Ireland. I could not believe that He has brought us this far along only to not be able to go because of our housing situation. Or to let us fail in our support raising because my work schedule is not allowing me to spend time meeting with people.
So we went to God in prayer many times over the last few days, telling Him that "we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."
And we believe God will answer our prayer and deliver us, just like he did for King Jehoshaphat. We are trusting Him and have taken some steps that we feel are following His leading (even though it may seem crazy to us!)
Our house is currently listed for sale and we are trusting God to take care of the details. I also gave my 2 week notice at work so that we can have time to make our final push with our support raising. We are currently closing in on 50% of our goal and will spend the next few weeks here in Las Vegas meeting with friends who may be interested in helping us. Then we will be making a trip to San Diego and to Oregon to connect with more friends and churches to talk about our ministry.
So, that's the latest! Please be in prayer for us to continue to listen to God's call and direction.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Being Called
I heard a great quote today in church from a visiting missionary who used to serve in Mali (West Africa).
"God does not call those who are qualifed, He qualifies those who are called."
Amen!
I know that I have wrestled so many times with feelings of inadequacy when I think about being a full-time missionary. There are so many others who are more educated, more articulate, or more mature in their faith than I. How is a sinner like me qualified to share my faith with others?
That quote above forces me to remember that is not about me - it is about what the Holy Spirit does through me (or maybe even in spite of me). I can only try my best to diligently share Christ with others and live my life in a way that allows me to be ready to witness when opportunities arise. No matter what I say, it is God who takes that experience, shapes it, and helps the person remember it along the way.
Most people do not come to Christ in a single moment. There is not usually a dramatic conversion story where lightning strikes, the earth trembles, and the voice of God is heard (Paul on the road to Damascus exluded).
More often, someone comes to Christ as a culmination of events and people who have played a part in their life. You never know how God may use what you say or do to influence someone a year or 10 years from now. And that is worth remembering when you pass by someone who you know could use encouragement, or you choose to hold your tongue when you know that taking a stand is the right thing to do.
I am so thankful that I do not have to be "qualified" to be called! God is qualifying me along the way and I am happy to be along for the ride.
"God does not call those who are qualifed, He qualifies those who are called."
Amen!
I know that I have wrestled so many times with feelings of inadequacy when I think about being a full-time missionary. There are so many others who are more educated, more articulate, or more mature in their faith than I. How is a sinner like me qualified to share my faith with others?
That quote above forces me to remember that is not about me - it is about what the Holy Spirit does through me (or maybe even in spite of me). I can only try my best to diligently share Christ with others and live my life in a way that allows me to be ready to witness when opportunities arise. No matter what I say, it is God who takes that experience, shapes it, and helps the person remember it along the way.
Most people do not come to Christ in a single moment. There is not usually a dramatic conversion story where lightning strikes, the earth trembles, and the voice of God is heard (Paul on the road to Damascus exluded).
More often, someone comes to Christ as a culmination of events and people who have played a part in their life. You never know how God may use what you say or do to influence someone a year or 10 years from now. And that is worth remembering when you pass by someone who you know could use encouragement, or you choose to hold your tongue when you know that taking a stand is the right thing to do.
I am so thankful that I do not have to be "qualified" to be called! God is qualifying me along the way and I am happy to be along for the ride.
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